Even Democrats know tax plan isn't fair

As a conservative Republican, I cannot believe that I actually agree with a Montgomery County Democrat ("Income tax is facing dissent," May 15).

If you missed the story, Del. Charles Barkley, a Montgomery County Democrat, stated opposition to the Democratic leadership's "doomsday" tax plan, telling The Sun, "I don't like the income tax plan. I don't think it's fair to taxpayers." No kidding.

Delegate Barkley is right: the new income tax is unfair to taxpayers. If you work hard and obtain wealth, why should it be taken from you?

Raising taxes purely for the purpose of increasing spending is awful economic policy, and everyone knows it. Delegate Barkley, who has been a strong supporter of progressive taxation in the past, knows that the spending increases are unnecessary, hence his opposition. Of course, there are some that will be hurt by the spending cuts, perhaps some that may lose their job security, but everyone in Annapolis knows that spending cuts can be made elsewhere in the budget without nearly as much pain — it's just not politically convenient to do so.

To the folks in Annapolis, the game is only fun when you can gamble with high stakes.